Original title
James May's Toy Stories
Released
10/27/2009
Origin country
GB
Genre
Documentary
Production companies
Plum Pictures
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
1
Number of episodes
6
James May is out to prove why traditional, old fashioned toys are still relevant today when he pushes them to the limit in spectacular, supersize challenges.
James May has a sit down and discusses the ins and outs of filming Toy Stories and some of the challenges that came with it.
A celebration of the toys which have survived across the decades, presented by a man who still plays with them.
James May, stuck between his older and younger sister as a child, reveals how his toys were their hand-me-downs. He goes through the family toy box rediscovering some classics.
James May reattempts his challenge to create the longest model railway line between Barnstaple and Bideford, but this time with a race between British model railway enthusiasts against a German team from Miniatur Wunderland. With sturdier track and a new power system, along with Oz Clarke helping out, the teams compete with three different model trains.
James May investigates the enduring appeal of the model aeroplane and sets out with the intention of achieving the first flight across the English Channel by an engineless, home-made supersized toy - breaking the British distance record in the process.
Following James May's successful attempt to create a bridge out of Meccano in Liverpool back in 2009, a new challenge was made to see if the mechanical toy could be used to create a fully working motorcycle, and then ride it across the Isle of Man. More specifically, for one lap of the island's famous TT Course, in 2013.
In 2014, a brand new challenge was devised, involving the Action Man doll. The idea was simple - to see if a toy (the doll in particular) could break the sound-barrier, and travel faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1) as a result, something that had not been attempted before with any existing toy.
In this deleted scene, James visits Peter Snow's attic to take a look at his very own model railway.
James visits one of the best kept secrets of the LEGO company. The Lego Vault, where historic sets are kept and preserved.
A brief deleted scene from episode two, Plasticine, in which James does some excellent flower arranging.
James takes model aeroplanes to a new level when he tries to make a full-size Spitfire out of Airfix. The venture soon hits problems when it becomes clear the giant 36-foot pieces may not be strong enough, and nobody knows how they will fit together. James hopes he can enthuse a group of reluctant teenagers to help him pull it off - but he soon realises he has another big battle on his hands convincing them it is a hobby to be proud of.
James tries to make a garden entirely out of Plasticine and then enter it at the Chelsea Flower Show. He persuades thousands of members of the British public to help make the thousands of Plasticine flowers he needs, but will it be enough to persuade the guardians of the world's most prestigious horticultural event to let him make a garden with no real flowers in it? While visiting celebrities like Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley are clearly impressed with James's creation, the RHS judges take a dimmer view, forcing James to defy tradition and take matters into his own hands.
James joins forces with Edwina Currie to build a full-size bridge from nothing but Meccano. Top engineers pitch incredible designs, but the project soon careers out of control when the Meccano does not arrive and James realises it will take longer to build than he imagined. A last-minute accident also means that James's bridge may never see the light of day.
James attempts to construct the world's longest Scalextric track at Brooklands in Surrey.
James attempts to build the world's first full-size house made entirely out of Lego bricks. With thousands of people and over three million Lego bricks, James attempts to do what no-one has ever managed, to build a two-storey house using this colourful toy. Such an ambitious undertaking is not without its problems and James soon has issues with planning regulations, an interior designer who can't get her Lego furniture to stay in one piece and a structural engineer who tries desperately to stop everything from coming crashing down.
James links Barnstaple to Bideford with the world's longest model train set.
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